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NFDC and Kamal Swaroop trace Phalke!

May 2, 2013 02:08:01 PM ISTBy Rajesh Kumar Singh, Glamsham Editorial

The National Film Development Corporation produced the maverick director's path-breaking first feature film OM DAR BADAR. The pure Indian masterpiece of existential cinema by Kamal Swaroop won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Film in 1989 and is regarded as a cult classic by the students of cinema. The fantastic absurdist cinematic collage has inspired many a filmmaker since then. Some believe that a song in 'OM DAR BA DAR' inspired the brass band song 'Emotional Aatyachar' in Anurag Kashyap's DEV D, which contributed greatly to the success of Abhay Deol and Kashyap's contemporary cinematic rendition of the Sharat Chandra classic DEVDAS.

TRACING PHALKE

NFDC has come to Swaroop's aid yet again by co-sponsoring the publication of an iconic book titled 'Tracing Phalke', his labor of love of twenty years. The book will be released on 3rd May 2013 to coincide with the day Dadasaheb Phalke's 50-minute feature length silent film RAJA HARISHCHANDRA was released in the year 1913 at the Coronation Cinema Hall, Bombay. There cannot be a more apt commemoration of the 100 years of Indian cinema. It is an eponymous compilation and collage of the life and times of Dhundiraj Govind Phalke (Dadasaheb Phalke), the father of Indian cinema, with rare details and archival visuals. The book is a remarkable example of pastiche art that depicts Phalke's life through illustrations, photographs, as well as text right from his schooling days, to places he visited, people he met and his various experiences and inspirations that eventually led to the birth of Indian Cinema.

NFDC is happy and proud to release a limited edition of the book to support a significant independent initiative much in tune with its avowed mandate. Since its inception in 1975, NFDC in its present and past avatar as Film Finance Corporation has produced and supported about 300 films in more than 20 Indian languages with several international co-productions to its credit. Having backed critically acclaimed and award winning films, the Corporation has worked with filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Richard Attenborough, Mira Nair, Aparna Sen, Saeed Akhtar Mirza, Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, Mani Kaul, Sai Paranjpe, and Mrinal Sen.

NFDC also organizes South Asia's noted film market for production and distribution alongside the International Film Festival of India in Goa; Film Bazaar is in its 7th edition in 2013. NFDC nurtures new talent, produces/co-produces regional content and organizes script-development and other need based Labs/ programs for the independent filmmaking community.